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| 2 ex-CMs meet, discuss issues of `mutual' interest | | Is it beginning of the end of coalition? | |
Early Times Report
Jammu, April 17: Former Chief Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad walked in to find his `worst enemy' in the waiting room of Srinagar airport Saturday. However, behaving like matured politicians neither Azad nor Mufti Muhammad Sayed made a mention of the `bitter' past. Instead they concentrated on the future. After greeting each other warmly, the two leaders discussed issues of mutual interest. The rendezvous lasted around fifteen minutes.
Ghulam Nabi Azad caused a `storm in Congress party last fortnight when he arrived in the summer capital and promised an active role in state politics. The Congress Chief, Saif-ud-Din Soz did not like Azad's `undue interference' in Jammu Kashmir. The supporters of two leaders demonstrated their strength on the streets of Srinagar but in the process conveyed all was not well in the Congress party.
A few days later Azad left for Delhi. Before leaving the state, he said he had no role to play in state politics. But Azad came back yesterday to address a political rally at Shangus, Anantnag. The area is a strong hold of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Normally, PDP would not allow a Congress man to intrude into their bastion. But, Azad rushed from New Delhi to pay tributes to a former Union Minister on his second death anniversary.
Azad is mature enough to understand the consequences of his `new found interest'. Before playing his cards he has held them in his hands to strike a chord somewhere. Here a mention of the Congress Working Committee's decision on party's coalition with National Conference will be most appropriate. The highest decision making body in the world's biggest democratic political party has decided to install a Congress man as state's Chief Minister after Omar Abdullah completes three years in office.
Much ground work must have been done to ensure Azad's rally at Shangus. With so much happening around, it becomes difficult for a commoner to believe that today's Mufti-Azad rendezvous at airport was a mere coincidence. Yes, nobody can stop the two leaders from meeting each other publicly or secretly but to make their meeting appear informal, the waiting room of the airport was chosen? Or was it a deliberate attempt to send a strong message across? What ever the reasons, it has now become that a change on political firmament of the state is quite imminent.
Azad, people close to National Conference believe, does not like Omar Abdullah. He is sore at his `crude show of arrogance' on amnesty issue. When New Delhi announced amnesty to militants desirous of returning from Pakistan, Azad opposed it for various reasons. Omar's reaction to Azad's concerns was a bit harsh. Azad, therefore, has made friends with enemy's enemy.
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